The town lies in the Dravinja Vally beneath Mount Boč. The town is a crossing for two important regional roads, the Maribor-Rogaška Slatina route and the Celje-Ptuj route. One of Slovenia's main rail lines runs through the town, and the town has a railway station. There are also a primary school, a health center, a post office, two supermarkets, several small inns and bars, and some restaurants. Some of these offer food and wine from the region.

Poljčane attracts visitors because of mountain Boč, a popular destination for day trips with a mountain bike or on foot. The top of the mountain offers a beautiful view of the eastern part of Slovenia.